The Burning of Zozobra may begin with flames, but it ends with something more enduring: community impact. For more than a century, this Santa Fe tradition has brought people together to release their worries and start fresh. Behind the spectacle is a grassroots fundraising model that supports local youth, funds critical services, and helps shape future leaders.
On the Friday before Labor Day weekend, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe ignites this cultural ritual into a nonprofit engine. Proceeds from ticket sales and community support go right back into the city. Since 1964, the club has contributed more than $3.5 million to local nonprofits, with a focus on children and families.
Learn more about the tradition’s origins and how Will Shuster’s vision became one of Santa Fe’s most celebrated community events.
A Sustainable Model for Community Giving
Unlike traditional fundraisers that rely on fluctuating donations, Zozobra follows a self-sustaining model. Ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsor support create a reliable funding stream that powers community programs year after year — turning culture into capital for social good.
Grants That Drive Local Impact
In 2024 alone, Zozobra raised $100,000 to support nonprofit organizations that support New Mexico youth. That money didn’t sit in a general fund. It is going directly to programs helping kids learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed, and thrive.
The Santa Fe Downtown Kiwanis Foundation’s current grant cycle provides up to $10,000 per nonprofit. These grants are open to any local organization serving Santa Fe youth, and they’ve made a measurable difference in classrooms, shelters, and playgrounds across the city.
One grant from Zozobra 2023 paid for the installation of “Buddy Benches” at 18 Santa Fe elementary schools, in a project inspired by 6-year-old Alyssa Kesler, who raised enough money from bake sales and friendship bracelets she crafted to pay for a Buddy Bench in her school. These benches promote inclusion by giving kids a safe place to sit when they’re feeling left out — a simple gesture that helps ease loneliness and encourage connection.
The 2023 Burning of Zozobra also allowed the Kiwanis Foundation to award grants to organizations such as Girls Inc., Cooking with Kids, Gerard’s House, St. Elizabeth Shelter, and adaptive ski programs for youth.
Investing in Education and Opportunity
Education is another major piece of Zozobra’s impact. Local youth are mentored by Kiwanis members in Zozobra construction and performance, and along the way learn the values of community service and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with seeing Zozobra collapse into a pile of ashes.
Programs Supporting Youth Wellness and Belonging
Zozobra’s contributions reach beyond academics. They support health, emotional wellness, housing, and mentorship, too. Girls Inc. has used funding to grow its Mind+Body program, which covers topics like body image, stress management, nutrition, human anatomy, hygiene, and healthy relationships, all tailored for girls ages 6 through middle school.
Grants have also helped organizations like Gerard’s House offer grief support to children, and provided basic essentials through shelters like Saint Elizabeth’s. These programs come at a time when youth mental health challenges are rising nationwide, and services like grief counseling and stable housing can be lifelines for children experiencing trauma.
These services aren’t glamorous, but they’re vital. When kids have a safe place to sleep, someone to talk to, and food on the table, everything else becomes possible.
A Tradition That Builds Community
Year after year, hundreds of volunteers show up to build what helps the city let go of its woes. They help construct, stuff, and prepare Old Man Gloom from the inside out. Public events like the “stuffing party” invite the community to participate in stuffing the effigy with dozens of bags of shredded paper and write down their worries and place them directly into Zozobra.
Volunteerism is a powerful force behind Zozobra. It’s a pipeline for community leadership, and one that continues to grow.
Zozobra’s Economic Impact on Santa Fe
Zozobra also delivers a meaningful economic lift to Santa Fe. With attendance capped at 50,000 and regularly hitting capacity, the event drives a spike in tourism, restaurant traffic, and hotel stays.
Even those watching from home can take part in the pageantry. Broadcast partnerships now bring the burn to thousands of living rooms across New Mexico and beyond. That added visibility brings attention to the city as a whole, supporting local businesses and helping extend Santa Fe’s summer tourist season into fall.
What’s Next for Zozobra
As the event grows, so does its potential. The Kiwanis Club has expanded partnerships, supported more local programs, introduced new inclusive performances, and welcomed Native American dancers — a reflection of New Mexico’s diversity. Through it all, the event has remained rooted in its purpose: serving Santa Fe.
As Event Chair Ray Sandoval puts it, “Zozobra gives people the chance to let go of their troubles together. It’s cathartic. But it’s also concrete. Those flames fund real work, real services, and real futures for Santa Fe’s next generation.”
How to Get Involved
There are many ways to be part of Zozobra’s impact:
- Donate directly to the Santa Fe Downtown Kiwanis Foundation
- Get tickets to the 102nd Zozobra
- Buy official merchandise, with proceeds supporting community programs
- Volunteer to help before or during the event
- Become a sponsor if you represent a business or organization
- Apply for grants if you run a nonprofit serving Santa Fe’s children
- Submit your “gloom” to be burned
Zozobra is a tradition sacred to Santa Fe, and a working model of how local culture and traditions can generate lasting good.For more about upcoming grant opportunities, volunteer positions, or ways to support Zozobra’s community mission, contact the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe.
